Dread Broadcasting Corporation

Dread Broadcasting Corporation, also known as DBC, was a 1980s West London pirate radio station which is credited as Britain's first black music pirate radio station.[1]

"Rebel Radio" redirects here. For anarchic radio, see pirate radio. For the Grand Theft Auto V radio station, see Rebel Radio (Grand Theft Auto).
Dread Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast areaLondon
Frequency93.9 / 103.8 FM
SloganRebel Radio
Programming
FormatReggae, Lovers rock, African, Soul, Funk
History
First air date
1980
Last air date
1984

History

It broadcast from the Neasden and Ladbroke Grove areas, and was founded by DJ Lepke (born Leroy Anderson)[2][3] in the Autumn of 1980.[4][5][6] Originally broadcasting on AM, it moved to FM at the end of 1981.[7] DBC would play reggae, lovers rock, African, soul, and funk.

Ranking Miss P (brother of Lepke) would originally start out on DBC, eventually moving onto a long career at the BBC.[8] Guest shows would include the likes of Joe Strummer from the band The Clash, Neneh Cherry and author Lloyd Bradley.[9]

Miss P, commenting on the station at the time: "There's never been a station run like DBC. Our format allows us to play music that would otherwise never be heard publicly. We create movement within the industry."[10]

The station featured on the BBCs Oxford Road Show programme in January 1982.[11]

DBC would eventually cease broadcasting in autumn 1984.[4]

Discography
  • Striving To Be Free / It's A Sign 12" (DBC, 1982)
  • Dread Broadcasting Corporation 2xCD (Trojan Records, 2004)

References
  1. Dennis, Tony (23 October 1981). "Black Pirates in the Grove". Time Out. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
  2. "Dread Broadcasting Corporation founder Lepke has died". The Wire. 25 March 2018.
  3. Lloyd Bradley (13 April 2018). "DBC Lepke: A Dread Outta Control". RDMA Daily.
  4. Hind, John & Mosco, Stephen. Rebel Radio: The Full Story of British Pirate Radio. Pluto Press, 1985. pp. 33–38.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. Hebditch, Stephen. London's Pirate Pioneers. TX Publications, 2015. pp. 97–101.
  6. "The Living Dread". Stand Up and Spit. 31 March 2018.
  7. "Dread Beat?". Stand Up And Spit. 20 August 2014.
  8. "Black to the future". The Independent. 1 November 2004.
  9. "We Spoke To Neneh Cherry About Working With Four Tet". Vice. 10 February 2014.
  10. Hebdige, Dick (1987). Cut'n'mix: culture, identity, and Caribbean music. Taylor and Francis, 1987. pp. 155–156. ISBN 978-0-906890-99-8.
  11. "Dread Broadcasting Corporation - BBC Teach". BBC.
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